High Jump

What High Jump does

High Jump is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization headquartered in Chicago, Illinois, founded in 1989 with the mission of providing tuition-free academic enrichment to academically motivated 7th and 8th-grade students from limited economic means. The organization delivers approximately 300 hours annually of rigorous academic programming per scholar at a 16:1 student-teacher ratio, operating its Scholars Program on the campuses of Latin School of Chicago, Francis W. Parker School, and University of Chicago Laboratory Schools. In 2025, High Jump served over 500 scholars across its Scholars, Community Scholars (a community-delivery pilot launched in 2021 serving 30 students in high-need neighborhoods), and Alumni Scholars programs.

The organization's curriculum combines culturally relevant literature, rigorous math instruction, experiential learning, and one-on-one counseling, with documented outcomes including 100% high school graduation, 98% college enrollment, 87% four-year college completion within six years (versus a 14% national benchmark for low-income students), and 2 years of academic growth per year of participation. The cost per scholar is approximately $7,500 per year.

High Jump is funded through a diversified revenue model spanning individual donations (online via Classy, mail, and recurring gifts), corporate sponsorships (starting at $2,500), the Sustaining Leaders Fund ($7,500+ annual gifts from major donors), a $5M endowment campaign (which surpassed $1M in FY2025 and is supported by a $500,000 matching challenge from the Peluchiwski family), and planned giving vehicles. Revenue is not publicly disclosed; the endowment target of $5M is stated as doubling the current annual operating budget, implying operating expenses of roughly $2.5M. The organization is led by CEO Nate Pietrini, with Molly Gilbride serving as Chief Advancement Officer and Eleanor Nicholson as founder.

Name

High Jump

Legal name

High Jump

Website

https://highjumpchicago.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1989

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

High Jump is a Chicago-based 501(c)(3) nonprofit founded in 1989 that provides tuition-free academic enrichment to motivated 7th and 8th-grade students from limited economic means. It serves over 500 scholars annually through campus-based, community, and alumni programs.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Youth Education Enrichment Services

NAICS

Educational Support Services (611710)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Accelerated Learning & Grade Advancement Programs (EDAJAGAE)

akta.pro secondary industry

Academic Acceleration & Grade-Skipping Support (EDANAKAE)

Keywords

• Academic enrichment programs
• Tuition-free education
• College preparation services
• Middle school tutoring
• Youth education nonprofit

Headquarters

HQ city

Chicago

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Individual Donations: Direct donations from individuals via the organization's website, mail, and planned giving programs. Donors can give one-time, monthly, or annual gifts.
2. Corporate Sponsorships: Corporate sponsors provide funding at various levels starting from $2,500 for event sponsorship. Sponsors receive recognition at events, on the website, and in annual reports.
3. Sustaining Leaders Fund: Major donor program requiring annual gifts of $7,500 or more to support one scholar's year of learning. Provides recognition, exclusive event invitations, and direct communication from CEO.
4. Endowment Gifts: Long-term fundraising goal of $5M endowment to provide financial sustainability. The Peluchiwski family issued a $500,000 matching challenge.
5. Planned Giving: Bequests, charitable IRA rollovers, life insurance policies, charitable remainder trusts, and retirement plan assets.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

High Jump provides tuition-free academic enrichment programs for curious and motivated 7th and 8th-grade Chicago middle school students from limited economic means, delivering 300 hours of enrichment annually, one-on-one counseling, rigorous math and culturally relevant literature instruction, high school application support, and college preparation in a 16:1 student-teacher environment. The organization also runs a Community Scholars Program that brings the enrichment model directly into high-need neighborhoods, and an Alumni Scholars Program that supports graduates through college completion.

Product overview

High Jump is a tuition-free educational nonprofit that provides academic enrichment programs for Chicago middle school students. The core offerings include the Scholars Program (the main two-year academic enrichment program for 7th and 8th graders), the Community Scholars Program (which extends the model to high-need areas), and the Alumni Scholars Program (ongoing support for graduates). Supporting infrastructure includes the Sustaining Leaders Fund (major donor program with $7,500+ annual commitments), the High Jump Endowment (long-term fundraising goal of $5M), and the Planned Giving Society for estate planning donors. The organization operates on campuses of partner schools (Latin School of Chicago, Francis W. Parker School, University of Chicago Laboratory Schools) and serves over 500 scholars annually with a curriculum focused on culturally relevant literature, rigorous math instruction, and experiential learning.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Scholars Program Tuition-free academic enrichment program for curious and motivated 7th and 8th-grade students in Chicago, providing 300 hours annually of academic enrichment, one-on-one counseling, and dedicated support to prepare students for high school, college, and beyond. Operates on campuses of Latin School of Chicago, Francis W. Parker School, and University of Chicago Laboratory Schools.
• Community Scholars Program Program that brings High Jump's enrichment model directly to students in high-need areas, extending access to underserved Chicago communities where students cannot easily reach the on-campus Scholars Program.
• Alumni Scholars Program Ongoing support and resources for High Jump alumni as they progress through high school and college, including college support, career guidance, mentorship, and networking.
• Sustaining Leaders Fund A major-donor program requiring annual unrestricted gifts of $7,500 or more to support one scholar's year of learning; members receive recognition, exclusive event invitations, and direct communication from the CEO.
• High Jump Endowment Long-term fundraising initiative providing financial stability and supporting High Jump's independence and growth, with a goal of raising $5 million.
• Planned Giving Society Planned giving program allowing donors to include High Jump in their estate planning through bequests, charitable IRA rollovers, life insurance policies, charitable remainder trusts, and retirement plan assets.

Quantifiable outcome

• 2 years of academic growth per year of High Jump participation
• +5 more outcomes

Named customers2 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Three partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• Latin School of ChicagocoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCampus partner hosting High Jump's headquarters. Provides facilities, utilities, and administrative overhead as in-kind support. Programs run on Latin School campus.
• Francis W. Parker SchoolcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCampus partner providing facilities and in-kind support. Programs run on Parker campus.
• University of Chicago Laboratory SchoolscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCampus partner providing facilities and in-kind support. Programs run on Lab Schools campus.

Scale indicators14 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Bottom Line: Nonprofit that provides one-on-one college access and success advising to students from low-income backgrounds. Comparable direct-services education-equity model with strong outcome tracking across multiple U.S. cities.
• Summer Search: National nonprofit pairing low-income high-school students with mentors and experiential learning opportunities including college-prep support. Comparable model combining long-term mentorship, enrichment, and college access for students from limited economic means.
• Chicago Scholars: Chicago-based nonprofit providing college access, advising, and support for low-income high school students. Comparable mission of educational equity for Chicago students from limited economic means and similar college-readiness programming.
• A Better Chance: National nonprofit placing high-achieving students of color into top independent and public schools. Comparable model of placing limited-income students into partner schools for academic enrichment and college preparation.
• College Possible: National nonprofit delivering intensive college-prep coaching to low-income students, including a Chicago presence. Comparable near-peer college access model with AmeriCorps-driven delivery and outcome measurement.
• Sponsors for Educational Opportunity (SEO): Nonprofit providing academic enrichment, college access, and career programs for high-achieving students from underrepresented backgrounds. Closely aligned with High Jump's enrichment-plus-college-prep model and outcomes focus.

Broad incumbents

• KIPP Foundation: Larger national charter network focused on college-prep education for students from underserved communities. Operates at significantly greater scale but shares the mission of academic acceleration and college outcomes for low-income students.
• QuestBridge: National nonprofit connecting high-achieving low-income students with selective colleges through scholarships and a college-prep program. Operates at national scale with comparable focus on academic acceleration and college outcomes for limited-income students.
• Jack Kent Cooke Foundation Young Scholars Program: Foundation program identifying high-achieving middle-school students from low-income families and supporting them through high school and college. Comparable target demographic (academically ambitious, limited economic means) and enrichment model.

Regional players

• EOYDC (East Oakland Youth Development Center): Oakland-based youth-development nonprofit providing academic support, enrichment, and college access. Operates in a different geography but uses a similar combination of academic enrichment, counseling, and college-prep services for underserved middle and high schoolers.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/@highjumpchicago
• Facebookfacebook.com/highjumpchi
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/high-jump
• Instagraminstagram.com/HighJumpChicago

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about High Jump